Happiness at work

Happiness at work matters. It impacts our performance, productivity, co-operation and kindness levels. It affects customer service, sickness absence levels, staff well-being, staff turnover, and it even impacts bottom-line business profitability too. Happiness matters. It isn’t a happy clappy concept, it is measurable and it massively impacts business results.

Meaningful Work Impacts Happiness

Doing good makes us feel good. Simple as that. So work that is meaningful, that makes a difference, that is done and delivered with care, massively impacts our happiness levels. Even if we don’t find work meaningful, we can bring meaning to work. It was Viktor Frankl in his brilliant book ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ who wrote: ‘Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.’ But if you’re feeling miserable at work right now, it may not always feel like a choice, and your mood may not clock off as you do.

Unhappiness at Work Impacts Unhappiness at Home

Happiness at work also affects our home lives and our personal relationships. We spend around a third of our lives at work, and life isn’t a lot of fun if our working lives are miserable as that contaminates not just us, but our work, our colleagues, our customers, and then ultimately the families we go home to.

Do you Do What You Love & Love What You Do

Would you do your job if you didn’t get paid for it? Great question! David Beckham would kick a ball whether or not he got paid for it. Damien Hirst would be a creative creator whether or not he was paid for it. David Bailey would be a photographer whether or not he got paid for it. What would you PAY to do? At the grand wise age of 56 I can tell you that I would still do what I do whether or not I got paid for it. I feel alive, passionate, empowered, and on purpose doing what I was born to do. And I feel very blessed. Is there something that you were born to do? Do it now, there are only so many tomorrows. And if you do not do that which you came here to do then not only have you suffered a quiet tragedy but the world has too.

The 7C’s

To Work Fulfilment

Here are some practical ways of increasing your happiness levels at work:

Control/Autonomy

A sense of control is important to your well-being. Take as much control as you can.

Connection

Get to know people. People will help you a lot more if you take the time and show interest in them.

What if everyone you meet is a hero on a hero’s journey, perfectly imperfect, imperfectly perfect. What if we’re all just walking each other home.

It was Gandhi who said: ‘Be the change you wish to see.’

Challenge

It’s good to stretch yourself and challenge yourself. Double dare yourself to find the magic that happens when you leave the confinements of your comfort zone.

Community

Colleagues that play together stay together. Create a better social life with work colleagues, some rituals and rhythms that lift you all across the landscape

of the month and the year.

Commitment to the Greater Good

When your organisation is connected to organisations like The Happiness Foundation that impact the greater good, so morale and self-esteem are enhanced, and greater discretionary behaviours are shown at work because people care about a company that cares about its community and the world. Create your community connections – I hope we will be one of them.

And finally

If you’ve lost the will even reading this remember there are still 3 choices wherever you are and whatever you are doing:-

1. Stay and try to change things

2. Put up and shut up

3. Leave!

One wild and precious life – who wants to be miserable when a third of your life is spent at work. Make wise choices. Know what’s important.